Providing for services relating to agricultural equipment

This bill regulates practices by an original farm equipment manufacturer (manufacturer). The manufacturer must make available to an independent repair provider or owner of the manufacturer’s equipment any documentation, parts, embedded software, embedded software for agricultural equipment, firmware, tools, or, with owner authorization, data that are intended for use with the equipment or any part, including updates to documentation, parts, embedded software, embedded software for agricultural equipment, firmware, tools, or, with owner authorization, data. The original manufacturer must make those items available at fair and reasonable terms and costs. Generally, this includes terms that are equivalent to the most favorable terms that the manufacturer offers for the same item to an authorized repair provider and costs that are no greater than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. The requirements in the bill are subject to a number of limitations. The bill does not require a manufacturer to evade emissions, copyright, trademark, or patent laws. The bill does not exempt a manufacturer from a product liability claim. Any agreement entered into with a manufacturer that waives, avoids, restricts, or limits the manufacturer’s obligations under the bill’s requirements is void and unenforceable.